Wapun Meadow blood axe

today he'd tagged @Tvar to come hunting with him; the explanation was that he wanted to find at least two rabbits for ameline. but as they moved, ancelin glanced several times toward kvarsheim.
"we offered the stone circle wolves opportunity to join us. no takers then, but maybe now," he muttered before he turned attention back to their hunt. 
his indigo eyes were thoughtful. "you've been doing really well. a great asset to the pack." a quick smile came then. "ameline and i are looking to fill some leadership positions soon, maybe a little later in the spring. if i said you might be up for one, what would you say?"

tvar moved steadily alongside ancelin. the mention of kvarsheim earned a faint flick of his ear, but he didn’t offer a response. he focused on the hunt ahead, though the occasional glance from ancelin didn’t go unnoticed.

when the other man spoke again, tvar turned his sharp blue eyes toward him, surprise flickering briefly across his face at the unexpected praise. he didn’t speak immediately, his gaze dropping thoughtfully to the snow ahead as he considered ancelin’s words.

leadership.

it wasn’t something he’d sought, not here, not now. but the idea wasn’t unappealing. it tugged at something within him—pride, maybe, or a lingering need to prove himself, to carve a new identity far from the shadows of his past. so he lifted his gaze back to ancelin and said: “i’d say it’s your call, rex,” he replied simply. "if it is something you see to trust me with, i'll always do my duty."

a good answer; ancelin had wanted to see something like excitement in tvar's face, but not everyone reacted the same way. "i'd say it's a good call on my part then," the bearclaw decided with a wry grin. 
"pack's getting pretty big. we'll need wolves others can look up to, especially if we're going to have a bunch of little ones running around in a few months."
his indigo eyes were curious. towhee had come into her season, trails tangled with that of tvar. were they an item, or only aspiring co-parents? but he didn't ask.

tvar nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. i will do my best. i owe you and ameline for taking me in,

the future for tvar in bearclaw that ancelin proposed wasn’t lost on him, nor was the trust it represented.

the mention of the pack growing, of little ones soon to fill the valley, brought a subtle shift to tvar’s expression. not brooding, but thoughtful, his ears flicking in an almost nervous gesture. it wasn’t just the idea of new life—it was what it might mean for him, for towhee, for what they’d shared. he huffed quietly, forcing the thoughts away as he refocused on the patrol.

are you hoping for a son, ancelin? he asked, the faintest glint of mischief in his blue eyes as his lips twitched into a smirk. it was a jest, aimed squarely at the man’s well-earned reputation as a girl dad.

"didn't care last year. don't care this year," ancelin rejoined, a friendly glow touching his face. "you've seen how badass my girls are. another four of them and wow, we could have an army."
he supposed they essentially did at this point. "what about you, tvar? any hopes on the home front?" by now he wondered if the vague knowledge of this man and towhee had made it around the pack; ancelin was speaking to that now, allowing their pick for leadership to express whatever was on his mind. maybe they'd even get some bonding out of it or whatever, ancelin was just pleased with how smoothly the valley's internal rankings had gotten on thus far.

strong is all i care about, he admitted, his blue eyes steady as they met ancelin’s. but— his lips quirked into a faint grin, —guess a part of me wouldn’t mind having a boy. i like the sound of tvar jr.

he shifted his weight slightly, his tail flicking behind him. a glimmer of humor sparking in his eyes. either way, i hope they take after towhee. strong, fierce. a small laugh rumbled in his chest. can’t go wrong either way.

then, he looks back to ancelin. weight shifting as he diligently follows at the man's side, eyes occasionally shifting to observe their surroundings. i wouldn't take my chances with your girls. gonna be some scary women, like their ma. he snickers.

"oh you're absofuckin'lutely right," ancelin swore in glimmering admiration of the fierce regina who had led bearclaw into domination of the rising sun. he was her husband and it was enough for him. "hope you'll get your wish. princesses choose knights. that's how we met," added the rex with an arch of his brow.
ancelin didn't know towhee well; he understood a bird followed her and that the young woman did not speak. hoping to rectify this through time, he instead studied tvar, trying to search for that hint of softness which emerged when the man spoke of the hawk-eyed huntress. "nice, isn't it? being in love," voice assuming! voice teasing.

the rex's teasing earns him a sideways glance from tvar, a begrudging smile playing on his face. he wasn't above admitting his affections. deeply romantic, he was! so, with a laugh, he replies: it is. it's a short response, but one that was good as his tail sweeps at his hocks.

listening to the crunch of snow underfoot as the two of them patrol the length of the valley, one or the other occasionally stopping to spray piss on a passing tree or dead shrub. she's the last woman i thought i'd be with. an admittance, but it betrayed nothing ugly or rude.

he had always imagined himself with some soft, dainty woman—ending up with towhee jr, well, it was a pleasant turn of events. unlike @Cole, who seemed to have a type, tvar was glad he didn't have to dedicate the rest of his life to playing knight in shining armor. how nice it was to have a wife capable of bulling through the toughest of bastards!

aye, he elbows the man, we could very well be in-laws in the coming years.

"oh? why is that?" ancelin asked with genuine curiosity on the subject of towhee jr, though his chuckle was for the in law comment.
it warmed him to think that he and ameline were building a family of these wolves, brothers, uncles, sisters, cousins; it reminded him of the warmer days upon the rise.
and he did not think his mate, nor himself, would ever let it become that.
allowing silence for tvar to speak, he trotted slightly ahead, catching the trail of a squirrel and idly traipsing after it while he tilted an ear to listen.

the side glance he gives the rex is almost nervous.

he has yet to spill anything about his past, to anyone—the exception being TJ. even cole knows the most minute of details. his head tilts, as if gauging how much he would reveal, before he exhales to speak.

my father, and even mentioning the man stings, would've had me wed to a dainty, pretty woman. the first woman i was betrothed to—she was everything but. when she ran off instead of marrying me, i think that changed his mind.

because no strong, self-respecting woman would willingly marry a man she didn't want, right?

but that's all behind, now. i'm free to marry any woman i see fit. i chose TJ. a smile. soft. well, it kind of just happened. but now... i have chosen.

"ah. arranged marriage shit. no good," ancelin snorted, hanging his head for a moment. tvar went on, explaining that while his choice of TJ had been unexpected, it had been his.
"i'm proud of you, man, and real happy for you. towhee and you deserve this," the rex said with feeling, lifting a paw to tap tvar's shoulder.
"now!" he grinned, gaze dancing; "tell me what i should bring for a wedding gift."

tvar snorts, shaking his head. just bring yourself. simple, but true. he doesn’t want some grand gesture or material gift—but something tells him there is no avoiding this.

but if you must, he adds, with a knowing glance, make sure it’s something useful. no fancy shit. practical as ever. he huffs, amused, rolling a shoulder.

<3 fade?

"you got it. a buttload of flowers that will die in five seconds, that's what you want," ancelin hooted.
he nipped in the manner of an annoying younger brother at the man, kicked snow, and then jerked his head. "i'll keep hunting. you get back to TJ."
an order? he didn't mean it to be, but he did want tvar warm and snuggly with his wife ASAP.

a butt load of flowers.

tvar very visibly rolls his eyes at this. flowers! a scoff, a silencing glare, and he watches the rex's display of youthful arrogance and only laughs in response. moving brusquely to jab the man in the ribs with his elbow before ancelin could do much in the way of escape.

forget it. he drones, specifically about the flowers. no flowers. adamant!

but he relents nonetheless, nodding at the man's words, beginning to turn on large black paws. safe hunting, rex. he says with a smile, before departing swiftly to join his wife's side again.